Seiko 7A38 - by the numbers

I've long had a certain fascination with Seiko 7Axx case-back serial numbers. Not just because the first two digits tell you the watch's date of manufacture (year and month)* and that they're the definitive proof in cases of Déjà Vu and profiteering re-selling. Some can be intriguing for other reasons, as I wrote in this thread on the old archived forum: Anybody interested in (numerically) low 7Axx case-back serial numbers ?

*There are a couple of interesting anomalies on page 2 of this old archived forum thread.

I thought I'd written another similarly themed thread on the old archived forum, but if I did, I can't find it anymore. However, I did post it here on SCWF, back in December 2017:


Here's a couple of photos of that two-tone 7A38-7270 head only with case-back s/n 777670:

If the lucky serial number 777777 does exist, I'm still not quite sure whether it would be on a 7A38-7260 or 7A38-7270. Judging by the number seen listed for sale on eBay, both appear to have been produced in large volumes in July 1987.
I still keep an eye open for them and yesterday I spotted this stainless 7A38-7260 listed on eBay Germany.


Note the serial number 777766 - getting closer !

Here's another 7A38 with four sevens in the serial number, that I've just spotted. This well-worn stainless 7A38-7270 sold last night on eBay in the States for a mere $25. The listing was live for less than 10 minutes. Serial number 776077.

Seiko7A38 wrote: ↑Sun Nov 12, 2023 8:58 am Here's another 7A38 with four sevens in the serial number, that I've just spotted. This well-worn stainless 7A38-7270 sold last night on eBay in the States for a mere $25. The listing was live for less than 10 minutes. Serial number 776077.

That stainless 7A38-7270 s/n 776077 has been doing the rounds. Most recently it rocked up in eastern Australia, listed by another of the profiteering eBay re-sellers, watchadoption, who's asking a whopping $699 Au.

If it does exist, it's looking more like the elusive 777777 case-back serial number may belong to a two-tone 7A38-7270.
A grubby well-worn non-working example with s/n 777897 was listed and sold on eBay in the States earlier today.


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/167050819597

Keeping an eye open for unusual 77xxxx prefix case-back serial numbers can sometimes turn up an amusing instance of what can only be described as incompetence. I had an inkling that two-tone 7A38-7270 might have been snatched up by one of the many profiteering eBay re-sellers, because the listing was live for less than 15 minutes. But I didn't recognise the buyer's encrypted eBay ID at the time. Overnight, that same (7A38-7270) case-back, serial number 777897 turned up erroneously fitted to a well-worn 7A38-7289. The greedy incompetent seller irvinehawk08 is asking a risible $250 !

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/235838079866